A quote from Martin Luther King’s autobiography stood out to me today:
One of the greatest problems of history is that the concepts of love and power are usually contrasted as polar opposites. Love is identified with a resignation of power and power with a denial of love. What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive and that love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.
As someone who has a lot of friends both in politics/non-profits and in tech, I often see the oversimplification of people into two categories: those who prioritize “love” and work for non-profits, politics, etc. and those who want power and work in tech, business, etc.
I have definitely felt judged for pursuing a career path that, I will admit, predominantly accrues power.
This feeling permeates much of the political the left, I once heard a friend of a friend say that he thought that anyone who was wealthy must have taken advantage of people to get to where they were in life.
The underlying feeling seems to be that if you care about love, you will commit yourself to that (join a non-profit, involve yourself in politics, etc.). If you don’t, then you don’t care, you must not want the same things, or want them as badly.
I liked the Martin Luther quote because I feel like both are necessary, and people should keep that in mind.
David Litwak 